Maine Aroostook County American Legion Posts Join Force for a Meaningful Cause

Within Aroostook County located in Northern Maine, the American Legion Posts from the 16th and 17th districts have joined forces through various fundraisers and activities to raise over $14,000 and awareness for Angel Flight Northeast (AFNE), a nonprofit organization that supports their communities. AFNE provides countless amounts of time and energy, coordinating with private pilots, using their aircrafts, to provide individuals who are in need with free transportation to and from major hospitals where specialist and state-of-the-art medical equipment are made available to them. On Saturday, April 20th, representatives from AFNE along with Lloyd Woods, Adjutant of the American Legion Department of Maine, and Madawaska American Legion Post #147’s members Roger Corbin and Herb Albert, Chairman of the Board for Post #147, visited several American Legion Posts throughout Aroostook County that were holding numerous benefit events and activities in honor of AFNE. They were also joined by Barbara Hayslett, District Representative for Congressman Mike Michaud and Peter W. Ogden, Director of the Bureau of Veterans' Services in Maine.

The day began with a benefit luncheon held at the American Legion Post 15 Caribou, ME. From there, the team traveled to the Martin-Klein American Legion Post 133 in Fort Kent and then to the American Legion Post 145 in Frenchville. The day concluded with a BBQ Chicken Benefit Dinner at the Madawaska American Legion Post #147 followed by a benefit dance. Many of the American Legions also held 50/50 raffles and sold raffle tickets for various donated items along with a handmade quilt that raised $600 that Stanley Pelletier of the Jandreau & Conners Post-180 located in St. Francis, Maine presented to Jim Cear, AFNE Chairman of the Board.

Angel Flight Northeast has been providing its services to the residents of Maine since the organization’s founding in 1996. Based in Massachusetts, Angel Flight Northeast is a nonprofit that provides free air transportation to patients and families members so they can access life-saving medical care that is not readily available to them due to their geographic location. Since AFNE’s founding, it has coordinated more than 65,000 missions for people in need throughout the Northeast. Annually, AFNE provides approximately 34% of its services to the residents of Maine with the majority residing in Aroostook County.

Angel Flight Northeast representatives and those individuals who worked so hard and put out so much worthy effort for these fundraisers , know very well that the success of these events are due to the support of the public. We thank each and every individual who organized these events along with their volunteers who help make it such a success and especially to residents from each respective region that came and supported their American Legion’s respective fundraiser.